How a group of young activists turned abandoned land into a community pantry
In short: When pandemic lockdowns triggered fears of empty supermarket shelves, a group of young people in Brisbane chose direct action over hoarding. They bypassed bureaucracy to transform a neglected government plot into a thriving, productive garden designed to feed the most vulnerable members of their community.
Driven by concerns over food security, Al Wicks and Ruby Thorburn formed 'Growing Forward' during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their mission was to use underutilised public spaces to create community food resilience. To avoid the delays of red tape and bureaucracy, the group employed 'guerrilla' tactics, focusing on rapid implementation and direct action rather than waiting for official permits.
The group identified a specific plot of land in West End, inner-south Brisbane, which had been abandoned by the state government for over 90 years. Before planting, they conducted a thorough site assessment using permaculture principles, checking for a full-sun aspect and a reliable water supply. Crucially, they verified the soil safety by reviewing contamination reports via a contact in the local council and sought permission from local Indigenous elders to use the land.
The implementation was remarkably swift, with the group aiming to complete the setup in just two days to avoid periods of community uncertainty. This involved door-knocking every nearby house to consult with neighbours and distributing flyers to identify volunteers. The physical setup required bringing in approximately 20 m2 of soil, funded by the members' personal money, and completed in about a day of intensive labour.
Today, the quarter-acre garden features mounded vegetable beds ringed by edible native plants. To maintain their ability to operate without permanent infrastructure—which helps avoid friction with bureaucrats—the garden remains flexible. The produce, which includes diverse crops like okra, cassava, elephant foot yams, and papaya, is distributed for free to refugees and vulnerable community members, specifically tailored to the preferences of local refugee organisations.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: A guerrilla gardening group growing produce during the pandemic | Discovery | Gardening Australia
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